Researchers call for gender-inclusive crop varieties to aid food security
12 March 2021
A study was carried out by a team of researchers led by Amare Tegbaru, an IITA Gender Specialist as at the time the work was done, to examine the development of drought/ tolerant maize varieties in West Africa. The study was done using gender-disaggregated data recorded during participatory on-farm maize trials by the Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa Project. The trials were conducted in agroecological zones of Benin, Mali and Nigeria to identify men and women farmer’s expressed varietal and trait preferences in order to evaluate plant breeding strategy. It employed farmers’ responses to varietal and trait preference. Results of the analyses will help to identify specific gender preferred characteristics that relate to postharvest, nutritional and processing qualities with implications for future breeding of maize varieties appropriate for both male and female farmers.